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Monday, January 26, 2015

It's a Wonderful Life!

Two Things I Am Grateful For:

1) My family! Sure we have our moments. I can honestly say I am guilty of creating a few of those "moments" all on my own. BUT, I wouldn't give up, trade, or be able to live without any of them. They all mean so much to me, even on our very worst days. I love them all more than words could ever say.

2) The rain! Oh how I love it when it rains. I don't care to drive in it, but I will take it any way.

From the Camera:

This is my dad! Spending time with birds was a past time of his. Check out the side of that bird!

From my Dad......"That photo was take at Camp Geronimo Boy Scout camp near Pine, AZ in 1976. My friend, Chuck Bindner, had been there to run the Nature Cabin and because he is heavily involved in wildlife rehabilitation he brought five golden eagles along that were nearly ready to be released. Letting me handle some of the birds was Chuck's way of giving me the bird. :-) Chuck had the bald eagle, "Liberty" with him as well. He kept Liberty under a federal permit."

From the Heart:

In keeping with our theme, acts of kindness, here is another idea....

You’ve probably experienced what it feels like when someone else says something nice to you or compliments you. Even a very simple compliment can brighten your day, and make you feel better about yourself.

Make it a habit to pay people compliments. When something strikes you about someone else- a nice outfit, a beautiful smile - recognize it with a sincere compliment. That someone might be a classmate or coworker, or a complete stranger.

Benefits

Going out of your way to kind to others is very fulfilling! Not only is it a way to make others happy and boost their self-esteem, looking for positive things to say about people will help you keep an optimistic outlook on life!

Step It Up

Go out of your way to compliment five people every day. Maybe it’s a friend who looks sad, or the stranger on your bus you’ve wanted to introduce yourself to, or anyone else you talk to during the day. Try to make it a habit you can put to action in your daily life.

Keep It Simple

Compliment others whenever the occasion arises. Maybe you won’t be able to remember to compliment five people every day, but you can still be complimentary just by saying kind things to others.

From the days of His mother’s knee
Like no other before
He was all the boy should be
Then the Boy became the Man
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to God and the Lamb

His hands
Tools of creation
Stronger than nations
Power without end
And yet through them
We find our truest friend His hands

Sermons of kindness
Healing men’s blindness
Halting years of pain
Children waiting
To be held again

[Chorus]His hands would serve His whole life thoughShowing man what hands might doGiving, ever giving, endlesslyEach day was filled with selflessnessAnd I’ll not rest‘Til I make up my hands what they could be‘Til these hands become like those from Galilee

His hands
Warming a beggar
Lifting a leper
Calling back the dead
Breaking bread, five thousand fed

His hands
Hushing contention
Pointing to heaven
Ever free of sin
Then bidding man
To follow him

Chorus

His hands
Clasped in agony
As He lay pleading
Bleeding in the garden
While just moments away
Other hands betray him out of greed
Shameful greed

And then His hands
Are trembling
Straining to carry
The beam that they’d be nailed to
As He stumbles through the streets
Heading towards the hill
On which He’d die
He would die

They take His hands
His mighty hands
Those gentle hands
And then they pierce them
They pierce them
He lets them
Because of love

From birth to death
Was selflessness
And clearly now
I see him with his hands calling to me
And though I’m not yet as I would be
He has shown me how I could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee

One of the first times I ever felt the Spirit was while a sweet sister was singing this song in Church while I was a teenager. I can still remember the way I felt as I sat there and started to weep. I knew that the Savior had done something great and amazing for me and I wanted to do what ever I could to be like him. How grateful I am for sweet music that touches my soul.

From the Schmidt's:

Today Kevin has his second appointment towards the nerve stimulator placement. This is two of many more to come, I am certain of that! But, we will take this as a step in the right direction towards getting to the end of this particular journey. This is a good thing!

Last night we talked a lot to Lexi about the decision to take online classes for one semester and all of summer. She gets one chance. Then she goes back to the Public School setting her Junior Year. She of course, will continue to attend Seminary. That is something she cannot let go or do online. AND that is not something we will compromise on either. She will attend Seminary. She needs that! We need her to take that class. It's for her own benefit. Besides....she WANTS to take Seminary. Which is half the battle for a parent. I love that she understands that and has a desire to make sure she takes Seminary. Enough said.

The only bad thing I can see with this online thing is that she will miss her sign language class and her stain glass class. BUT, she can attend the class the missionaries offer like I mentioned before and she can take it next year. We will see what happens. I have to give it to Lexi. She had a problem and she has really been trying to come up with a way to fix it. I can respect that. I just hope it works out for her in the end. If it doesn't she runs the risk of being way behind and that would not be good. We are looking at her signing a contract with us and all of us agreeing on several things before this starts. More on this to come...

Kevin text our friend Andrew last night to let him know we were thinking of him. He immediately text back and at the end of his text he said, "We will miss our Christine." My heart is breaking for this man and his family. It's just so hard to believe. I'm still in shock. It's going to take us a while to grasp this and we aren't even family. Such a hard thing.

Work is calling my name..I have to go. Sorry to cut this short. Take care and we will talk again soon.